Scrooge
by kitchmill
Summary: Ever the Scrooge, Edward Cullen has no interest in celebrating Christmas. Will his attitude change when he finds a young woman down on her luck?
1. Chapter 1

**This was written as a one shot for the What's In Santa's Sack 2013 Christmas compilation, but I've decided to expand it into a short story. There will be seven chapters, and I will post one each day assuming I can get to an internet connection at some point during the day while I'm on vacation.**

**Thanks to Twiddler83 and staceleo for hosting the compilation! There were a lot of great stories, so if you haven't checked them out yet, search for author "What's In Santa's Sack" to read the other contributions. Let's do it again next year, ladies!**

**Thanks also to DanceWithMeTonight for creating the awesome banner for this story.**

**Title: **Scrooge

**Name:** kitchmill

**Beta/pre-readers:** beachcomberlc

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or these characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Rated:** M (The original one shot was rated T, but the expansion will be rated M.)

**Summary:** Ever the Scrooge, Edward Cullen has no interest in celebrating Christmas. Will his attitude change when he finds a young woman down on her luck?

_**Scrooge**_

_Bah humbug_.

I should just wear a sign that says that so people will stop wishing me a merry Christmas. That's the third time today, and I have to bite my tongue each time it happens to keep from coming back with a sarcastic retort. Things like "what's so merry about it?" or "I'm an atheist," even though I'm not, go through my mind.

I don't even remember liking the holiday much as a kid. My parents were never around, so there wasn't much point in celebrating with the nanny and the cook. The house was decorated every year, but that was only because Mother thought she had someone to impress. There were never any personal touches in the house, only decorations that were approved by some high-priced interior designer.

One year I actually gave Mother a homemade ornament and asked her to hang it on the tree. She laughed and patted my cheek. "That just wouldn't go with the rest of the ornaments," she said. I never saw that ornament again.

Then, three years ago my brother Emmett passed away from cancer on Christmas Day. If I didn't have a reason to dismiss the holiday before, I certainly did then. Emmett was the only family member that I actually cared about, and who also cared about me.

I treat it like any other day now. The only difference is that my takeout meal that day consists of Chinese food since those are the only restaurants open whereas I try to vary my takeout meals every other day of the year.

I pull my coat tighter around my neck as I walk down the street from my center city Philadelphia office to my brownstone in Rittenhouse Square. I was the last one out of the office tonight, not that that's atypical, but the office emptied earlier than usual today since it's Christmas Eve. The streets are mostly empty already with many people at holiday parties or celebrating with family.

I'm not a complete jerk. I did authorize a company holiday party last weekend—not that I attended. The employees of Cullen Corp know better than to expect me to show up.

I hurry my steps up as I continue walking up 18th Street in the dark. Normally I have a driver take me to and from the office, but once again, I am a nice guy and gave him the night off. I can see the edge of the park up ahead, and I'll cut through it to get home quicker than walking around. There is a six-pack of Heineken with my name on it, and I can already taste the pizza that I'll order later on.

Even with street lamps scattered throughout, the park is dark at six o'clock this time of year. It's also quiet. I enjoy coming here with a cup of coffee and the business section of the newspaper when I'm not working. There are always people milling about or jogging through, but no one ever bothers me.

I'm about halfway through the park and about to cut down the path that will take me to 19th Street when I hear a muffled cry. I stop in my tracks, but the noise also stops. I hold my breath while waiting to hear something more, and let it out when I come to the conclusion that it was just my imagination.

Just as I'm about to walk away, I hear a sniffle coming from my left. This time, I'm sure it wasn't in my head. Looking in that direction, all I see are trees and the benches along the path. It's too dark to see beyond that.

After another sniffle that's followed by a gasping breath, I know I have to go investigate. As much as I want to be home and alone tonight, if someone's hurt I can't just leave them here.

I step off the path and head toward the area where I heard the noise coming from.

"Hello?" I call out. "Is someone there?"

I hear another gasp and the rustle of branches ahead of me and to the left, so I follow the sound once again. "Are you hurt?" I ask this time.

I keep walking until I hear a timid female voice respond. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

I take quiet steps until I see the edge of an arm wrapped around a jean-clad leg peeking out from behind a bush. "If you were fine you wouldn't be crying in the bushes," I say gently as I approach the woman and crouch down next to her.

She gasps and looks away quickly so all I can see is long, brown hair hiding her face as she frantically wipes at her eyes. "I'm okay," she says with another sniffle. Her breath swirls around her head in the crisp air. "Just wanted to be alone for a little while."

Ignoring the dirt that will get on my expensive suit pants, I sit down next to her. "Rittenhouse Square may be a nice section of the city, but it's no place to be hiding in the bushes at night."

"You think I don't know that?" she retorts, turning to face me with an angry glare. The woman wipes under her eyes again. "Believe me, if I had somewhere else to be, I'd be there."

I blink a few times trying to process her words as I look her over as much as I can in the dim light shining from the path behind me. Her clothes are casual but clean and her jacket looks to be in good condition. Surely this woman isn't homeless, although there are plenty of homeless people in the city. Regardless, it's supposed to snow tonight and it's already too cold to stay out here for any length of time.

I sigh as I realize what I'm about to do goes against my better judgment. "Listen, the cops patrol this park every hour or so and they won't let you stay here. Is there somewhere I can take you? A friend's house maybe? My car is only a few blocks away."

"I told you, I don't have anywhere to go. Don't worry about me. When the cops kick me out I'll just move on to another place."

"You'll freeze out here," I counter. "You can't seriously be considering staying outside all night."

"I said I'll be fine," she barks. "Just go back to your family and forget you ever saw me."

My gloved hand rakes through my hair. I don't think I've ever met a more stubborn woman, and I haven't even properly met her yet. "Just …" I sigh again. "Come back to my house with me. You can at least warm up and wait for the snow to pass."

A dry chuckle escapes her. "Yeah, right. You're probably some serial killer who preys on innocent women."

I roll my eyes. "Do I look like a serial killer?" I wave a hand over my Armani suit and overcoat.

"Ted Bundy didn't look like a serial killer either," she retorts with narrowed eyes.

"Look, I was only trying to help, but I know when to cut my losses." I reach into my coat and pull out a business card. "My name and cell phone number are on there if you change your mind," I say, handing her the card. She takes it with shaky fingers.

Shaking my head, I stand up and brush the dirt from my pants and coat. With one last look at the woman, I turn and head back to the path that will take me to my empty house. Just as my right foot steps onto the path, I hear her call out and I freeze.

"Wait! Um … Mr. Cullen," she says as she hurries behind me.

I turn around and offer her a smile. "It's Edward."

"Bella," she says shyly. "Um, I don't want to intrude on your family time, but if you have somewhere I could warm up for a little bit, I'd appreciate it."

"I was planning to be alone tonight, so you're not intruding on anything."

"Alone on Christmas Eve?" She looks at me as if that's a foreign concept, so I just raise an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, uh … I guess that was my plan too."

In the light of the street lamp, I can now see that she looks clean and put together, not at all like the bums one would typically find on the streets of Philadelphia. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say she's beautiful, despite her red-rimmed eyes and pink nose.

"Come on," I tell her. "My house is only a few blocks away."

We walk side by side in silence for the few minutes it takes to get to my house. I cast quick glances at Bella and see her biting her lip occasionally as she looks around at the historic houses in the neighborhood.

"This is me," I say as I walk up the marble steps to the front door.

Bella looks around as I unlock it. "No Christmas lights?"

"I don't celebrate Christmas," I say sharply, throwing the door open and stepping inside. A moment later she hasn't moved from the front step. "Are you coming?"

"Um, yeah. Sorry." She steps into the foyer. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"It's fine." I wave her off as I drop my keys into the bowl by the door. "Just don't expect Christmas carols or Christmas cookies here." I take off my overcoat and hang it in the closet then turn to help Bella out of her coat. She drops a backpack on the floor. "Make yourself at home. I'm going to order a pizza. Is pepperoni okay?"

She blinks up at me and for the first time I realize how small she is. She must be a good foot below my six foot two frame.

"Don't worry about me. I'll just warm up and maybe wait out the snow, and then I'll be out of your way."

"Don't be silly, Bella. It's just pizza."

She rolls her eyes and huffs. "Pepperoni is fine then."

I step into the living room and flip the switch for the gas fireplace. "I'll be back in a few minutes," I tell her and then make my way into the kitchen to find the takeout menu for my favorite pizza place. Once the order is placed, I run upstairs and take off my suit, tossing it haphazardly over the chaise in my bedroom. I quickly pull on some jeans and a long sleeve shirt.

A few minutes later I make my way back to the living room where I find Bella looking at the few pictures I have on the bookshelf. "That's my brother, Emmett."

She jumps at the sound of my voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be nosey."

I shrug it off and hold up one of the beers in my hand. At her nod, I walk over to her but snatch it back just before she can grasp it. "Are you twenty-one?" I ask with a quirked eyebrow. She looks young but has a maturity about her so it's difficult to tell.

"Yes, actually. I just turned twenty-one in September. Would you like to see my license?" Her smirk gives away her attitude.

"I trust you," I comment with a nod, holding out the beer to her again.

"I don't know why," she says. She holds up her beer and I tap mine against it.

"Neither do I." There's something about her that tells me she's not here to steal from me or take advantage of me. I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's the way she's dressed or the way she holds herself confidently even though thirty minutes ago she was in a park with nowhere to go. Whatever it is, I don't think I'll regret offering her help.

I wave her over to the couch where we take seats at opposite ends. "You live here alone?" she asks.

"Ah, yes. I do."

"No wife—" she nods toward my empty left hand "—or girlfriend?"

"No wife," I acknowledge. "And I haven't had much time for a girlfriend lately."

She nods and sips her beer.

"How about you?" I question. "No family or boyfriend to go home to for the holiday?"

She looks down and squirms a bit. "No. No one to go home to," she murmurs.

"I don't mean to pry, but I have to ask … you don't look like the type to spend the night in an empty park, Bella. Do you have somewhere to go tomorrow?"

She swallows hard before answering, still looking down and tracing the pattern of the couch with her finger. "Not until the second."

"Of January?" I shout, causing her to jump. I lower my voice. "I'm sorry. Please tell me you weren't planning to spend the week on the streets."

"I hadn't exactly gotten as far as a plan," she says with a huff. "Everything just happened so quickly. One minute I was finishing my exams and the next I was locked out of the dorm with nowhere to go."

"There has to be some other way. Isn't there someone you can call? Family or friends, or maybe someone at the school?"

She looks up at me with watery eyes. "Don't you think I would have called them already if there was someone I could call? I certainly didn't choose this!" Dropping her beer bottle on the coffee table, she stands up and storms across the room, wrapping her arms around her body.

"Oh God, I'm sorry." I put my beer down and cross the room to her. She startles slightly as I place my hand on her shoulder but doesn't shrug it off. "I didn't mean to be insensitive. Why don't you tell me what happened so we can figure out if there's something that can be done. I have a lot of contacts in this city. If there's any way I can help, I will."

She turns and shakes her head. "You've already been kind enough. I'm sorry for yelling at you, but you don't need to be brought in to my problems."

"Bella …" I tug on her hand and pull her back to the sofa. "All businesses are closed for a holiday that I don't like to celebrate. I've got nothing to do for the next few days anyway, so let me help."

She swipes at a lone tear as she sits down, putting her elbows on her knees as she drops her hands between them. "I wouldn't even know where to start," she says with a shake of her head.

The doorbell rings, interrupting whatever she was about to tell me. "Let me grab the pizza. The den is down the hall to the right. I'll bring everything in there in a minute."

With a nod, Bella heads to the den while I go to the door. I tip the delivery boy well as I collect our meager Christmas Eve dinner and then stop in the kitchen to grab some plates. Bella is on the couch when I enter the den. I place the pizza and plates on the coffee table.

"Help yourself," I offer. "Music okay? I prefer to stay away from TV with all of the holiday shows on."

"That's fine," she responds, opening the pizza box and putting a slice on each of our plates while I step over to the stereo and turn it on for some background noise.

We eat in silence and sip our beers for a few minutes. When I notice Bella only picking at what's left on her plate, I decide I can start up our previous conversation. "So, why don't you tell me what led you to Rittenhouse Square?"

She sighs and puts her plate on the table. After kicking off her shoes, she turns on the couch to face me with her feet tucked up under her. "It's a pretty long story. Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"I've got nowhere to be." I give her a reassuring smile.

"I guess everything started with my dad's stroke over the summer. I'm from a tiny town in Washington called Forks, but I've been attending Drexel University on a scholarship. I was home for the summer so I was able to help my dad out, but when it was time for school to start up he insisted I come back here. I had to hire a nurse to take care of him." She picks at a thread on her jeans and doesn't look at me while she speaks, her voice devoid of any emotion, as if she's telling someone else's story.

"Of course, money was tight and I was worried about him when I came back. I guess I didn't realize that my grades were slipping. Then he passed away at the end of November. I went home for the funeral and had to meet with a lawyer because his estate was all messed up with so many medical bills. I thought the lawyer was taking care of everything, but a few days ago I found out that things had gotten worse instead of better.

"I went to buy a ticket to fly home but my bank account was frozen because my father's name is also on it. As much as that sucked, I figured I could wait it out and buy a ticket as soon as the lawyer could unfreeze it. What I didn't think about is that the dorms closed for the holiday as of this afternoon."

My eyebrows shoot up higher and higher as I listen to everything that's happened to her recently.

"To make matters worse, my advisor called me in today and told me that with the results of my finals I lost my scholarship. So, I was locked out of the dorm _and_ I have to go back on January second to collect my belongings, unless I can come up with the money for my final semester of tuition by that time."

She wipes the tears from her face once again and I hand her a napkin.

"Thank you," she says with a sniffle, wiping her face with the napkin. "I just started walking when I left my advisor's office. I'm not even sure how I ended up in Rittenhouse Square, but once I was alone I just started falling apart. I really didn't have any idea of where to go or what to do when you walked by. I still don't." She shrugs and looks up at me with a humorless smile.

My mind is running in a thousand different directions after hearing this poor woman's story. None of this is any fault of her own; it's just horrible circumstances. It is even understandable that someone's grades would slip while dealing with an ill parent and then their death on top of it.

As much as I fight against everything that has to do with the Christmas holiday, I do realize that I'm in a unique position—the position to give. I live a solitary life by choice, but that doesn't mean I can't assist a person in need.

Bella must mistake my stunned silence for something else because she quickly apologizes. "I'm sorry. I really didn't want to burden anyone else with my problems. I'm sure I'll find a way out of this mess. Maybe I could just use your computer to look up a shelter in the area and then I'll get out of your way." She starts to stand from the couch.

"No."

She freezes momentarily before jumping into action and putting her shoes back on. "That's okay. I'm sure I'll be able to find somewhere on my own. Thanks anyway."

"No, Bella," I say again, shaking my head. I put my hand on her arm to stop her. "I meant no to you going to a shelter."

She looks at me with a question in her eyes.

"There's no need for you to go anywhere. Look around … I have a huge, empty house. You can stay here." My words surprise even me, but I mean them. Despite our lack of parental affection growing up, Emmett was the most giving person I knew. He'd kick my ass if he knew I was in a position to help someone and turned them away. As much as I hate this holiday because it's a reminder of what I lost, I can at least honor his memory by helping out someone who is down on their luck.

"Edward, I appreciate your offer but I can't accept it."

"Please, Bella. All of the city shelters will be overrun this time of year, so your chances of finding someplace with a bed are already slim. Besides, I'd feel horrible sending you to one of those places. I have two extra bedrooms upstairs that never get used. And, well … you could keep me company tomorrow and keep my mind off the holiday. You'd actually be doing me a favor."

She looks at me with furrowed brows before slowly sitting down. "Why do you want to keep your mind off the holiday?"

"Tell me you'll stay and I'll tell you the reason." I don't know why I'm desperate for her to stay with me, but at this point I'm willing to beg if it comes to that.

After staring at me for a minute longer, she nods once. "If you're sure …"

"I'm sure."

We sit in silence for another minute before Bella breaks it. "Okay, so why do you not like to celebrate Christmas?"

I clear my throat and turn on the couch, kicking my feet up on the coffee table. "It's, uh … it's never been a big deal to me or my family," I start with a shrug.

"Even when you were a kid?"

"Especially when I was a kid," I confirm. "My parents weren't around much. My brother and I were pretty much raised by the nanny. My father is a doctor at CHOP and we barely saw him. My mother, although technically a stay at home mom, was always involved in one women's group or another."

"They didn't make time for celebrating Christmas with you?" she asks.

I quirk an eyebrow in her direction. "Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Sorry," she says, looking properly chastised.

"Mother would have the house professionally decorated for the holiday, so there were never any personal touches, not even inside the house. Most of the time off that my father would take would be spent going to galas and holiday balls, wherever Mother deemed his appearance necessary. We never saw them on Christmas Eve, and although they'd be home on Christmas Day, there wasn't much to it.

"Sure, there were plenty of presents under the tree, but they would be exactly what Emmett and I put on our lists. Nothing with any thought put into it. We'd have dinner together—dinner that the cook would prepare—and then we'd all go our separate ways.

"As a teenager I didn't see much point to the holiday. My parents made it feel like more of a duty than anything else, so Emmett and I finally just told them to stop bothering." I take a deep breath and let it out through my lips. "Then my brother got sick. Of course my father sent him to all the best specialists, but after living for six years with Hodgkin Lymphoma, he passed away three years ago … on Christmas Day."

"Oh, Edward." Bella's hand on my arm leaves me feeling a warmth throughout my body. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

I shrug it off. "It's no worse than what you went through with your father, which I'm sorry to hear as well. Is your mother around? You didn't mention her."

She sits back in her corner of the couch, and I feel the loss of her hand on me immensely. "No, she's not around. I haven't spoken to her in years. I doubt she even knows I've been in Philly for the last three years, let alone that Dad died."

"Well, we're quite a pair, aren't we?"

Bella gives a little chuckle. "Yeah, we could probably exchange sob stories all night. I think we need to lighten the mood up around here."

"That sounds like a great idea," I agree. "How about I get us some more beer and you pick out a movie?" I gesture toward the entertainment center where my extensive movie collection resides. At least I know she won't pick a holiday flick considering I don't own any.

When I get back to the den, Bella has _History of the World: Part 1_ in her hand. "I thought we could use a comedy," she says, exchanging the DVD case for her fresh beer.

"You're a Mel Brooks fan?"

"Yeah, my dad and I used to watch his movies all the time. I hated watching sports, and that was the one thing we could agree on."

"Well then, it looks like we could be occupied until the new year. I think I have all of his movies."

I turn off the music and put the disc into the Blu-Ray player, turning on the surround sound and lowering the lights. Bella returns to her spot on the couch while I grab a blanket from the drawer of the entertainment center.

"Care to share?" I offer, holding up the blanket.

"Sure, thanks."

I take a seat closer to her this time and open the blanket, spreading it across both our laps before I pick up the remote and press play. As expected, the movie has us both laughing and quoting lines together before long.

About halfway through, I look over and see Bella with a real smile on her face, something I hadn't seen before now. I take in her appearance and realize she's actually a very beautiful woman. Her brown hair is long and wavy, framing her heart-shaped face perfectly. She has expressive brown eyes that smile along with her lips, which are full and plump. Her frame is petite yet curvy, and her clothes offer just a hint of what lies underneath.

She catches me staring but continues to smile, so I lift my arm and offer her a place to rest. Her smile widens before she leans over and places her head on my shoulder. Something about her feels so right, so natural as she lays up against me. I've never been one to cuddle, but then again I've never had much opportunity. Most of my relationships have been over before they started, and it's not an exaggeration when I say I haven't had time for a girlfriend lately.

I've been so focused on getting my company up and running that everything else has fallen by the wayside. It's true that I could easily step back some now that I have the right people in place and things are running smoothly. I have never had a reason to work any less though.

"Could you _please_ step on the same foot at the same time? My tits are falling off!" Bella quotes with the movie. We both laugh at Madeline Kahn's character, and Bella's body rubs against mine with the vibrations of our laughter. I wrap my arm around her a little tighter. She turns her head and looks to me with a smile a mile wide.

There's something about causing this woman to smile that makes me feel like the Grinch when his heart expanded three sizes. For the last hour, I even forgot that tomorrow is my least favorite day of the year.

We follow that movie with _Spaceballs_ and more laughs before realizing how late it's gotten.

"I'm sure I have an extra toothbrush around here somewhere," I tell her as I lead her into one of the guest bedrooms. "The bathroom is just across the hall, and there are towels in the linen closet if you want to shower or anything."

When I look over at her, she's fidgeting with her fingers and shuffling her feet.

"What's wrong?"

"I, um … I don't have any clothes to change into."

"Oh," I say, rubbing the back of my neck. "I'm sure I can find something for you to wear to sleep. Hang on."

I run across the hall to my bedroom and rifle through a few drawers until I find a pair of sweatpants and an undershirt and then head into my bathroom to find a new toothbrush. "Here," I offer when I get back to the guest bedroom. "They'll be a little big, but it's better than sleeping in your jeans."

She takes everything from my hands with a sad look on her face. "Thank you, Edward, for everything. You really didn't have to do this. I'll find a way to pay you back for your hospitality once I get my mess cleaned up."

"Nonsense, Bella. You've already made tonight much more bearable than it would have been if I were alone. I should be thanking you."

She shakes her head but shrugs. "I'm glad I could help, I guess."

Without thought, I pull her into a hug and kiss the top of her head. "Get some sleep. I'll be in my room if you need anything," I say as I release her. "If you're up before me in the morning, help yourself to whatever you want in the kitchen."

I turn and leave her room, walking the short distance across the hallway to mine before collapsing on my bed. This has been such an odd day for me and I don't have a clue what to make of it. As miserable as I was when I woke up this morning knowing what lay ahead, somehow now I feel lighter and more relaxed. Dare I say I actually enjoyed myself tonight?

With that thought, I get myself ready for bed and crawl under the covers. It doesn't take long for me to drift off to sleep while my mind replays the most beautiful laughter I've ever heard.

I wake the next morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee drifting into my bedroom. Confusion momentarily sets in since I didn't set the coffee pot last night knowing I wouldn't be getting up for work this morning. But then I remember—Bella.

I jump out of bed and go through my morning routine as fast as possible, not sure why I'm so anxious to get downstairs. As I approach the kitchen I hear music playing, and when I turn the corner I see the back of Bella as she sways her hips to the beat while standing over the stove.

I'm suddenly dumbstruck watching her body move. Although she's wearing clothing that's much too large for her, there's a seductiveness to her movements that causes my dick to twitch. The domesticity of the act while she wears my clothes only adds to the allure. My undershirt is tied in a knot on her right hip, allowing a sliver of skin to peek through above where my sweatpants are rolled and resting low. My cock jumps again as I look at the creamy skin.

Jesus, I need to get laid.

It's too bad I've never been one for casual sex. The act itself is great—no guy in his right mind would deny that—but I don't enjoy it as much when there are no emotions involved.

I need to break this train of thought immediately before I pitch a tent in my sweats. The semi I'm sporting right now is bad enough.

I shake my head and then clear my throat, startling Bella in the process. She jumps and spins around, her hand coming up to rest on her chest when she sees me in the doorway.

"You scared me," she says, breathless.

"Sorry about that."

"I hope I didn't wake you."

"No, you didn't. But you didn't have to do all of this," I tell her, waving to the pile of pancakes and the already set table.

She shrugs and turns back to the stove. "It's the least I could do. You didn't have much to choose from, but I hope you like banana pancakes."

"You made these from scratch?" I know I didn't have any pancake mix in the house.

She slides the last pancake off the griddle and adds it to the stack before placing the spatula in the sink and taking the plate to the table. "Yeah, you had all the basic ingredients so …" She trails off and shrugs again.

"It looks delicious. Thank you." I head over to the cabinet and grab a mug, gesturing to Bella to see if she wants coffee. At her nod, I take out a second mug and fill them both before bringing them to the table. "Milk?"

"Please."

I get the milk from the refrigerator while Bella puts some pancakes on each of our plates. Before long, we're both digging in and I'm humming my appreciation. "This is delicious, Bella. I can't even remember the last time I had a home cooked breakfast."

She smiles at me. "I'm glad you like it. If you had more food here, I'd cook dinner tonight. I like cooking but obviously can't do much of that in the dorm." Her expression falls at the end of her statement, no doubt a result of her precarious situation for next semester.

I watch her eyes drop to her plate, but instead of eating another bite she pushes the food around. My chest begins to ache as I think about the issues she has to deal with. If anyone has reason to be bitter right now it's Bella, yet here she is trying to be as happy as possible with the hand she's been dealt.

I don't understand why I feel so protective of this young woman. There's something inside of me that doesn't want to see her in pain, and if I'm honest with myself, I crave her smiles. The next words are out of my mouth before I even have time to consider them.

"What if I gave you the money for your last semester of tuition?"

She looks up at me with wide eyes. "What?"

I drop my fork to the plate and sit back in the chair. "It's not like I can't afford it."

"No. Absolutely not. You've been very kind and I appreciate your hospitality, but I'm not going to let anyone clean up my mess." Her words are final and she pushes back from the table, her chair screeching across the hardwood floor. Before I know what's happening she has stormed out of the room.

I let out a breath through puffed cheeks. That definitely didn't go over well. I still can't wrap my head around my need to help her, but I want to find a way to do it anyway.

Giving her some time to cool off, I finish eating the delicious pancakes and clean up the kitchen. There's not much to do because Bella must have cleaned as she worked. Once the plates are in the dishwasher and the griddle is wiped down, I top off Bella's coffee and my own then head upstairs.

With both mugs secure in one hand, I knock on her door gently. "Bella? Can I come in for a minute?"

A moment later, the door opens and I see a red-eyed version of the beautiful woman I've come to know. She's still beautiful, but I sigh as I realize I'm the cause of her latest tears.

I step into the room and hand her the coffee and then take a seat in the chair in the corner. "Thank you," she says quietly as she sits on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry about before," I start. She goes to speak, but I hold up my hand. "Just let me say this and then you can have at me all you want." She chuckles while looking into her mug so I continue. "I didn't mean to offend you or insinuate that you couldn't take care of yourself. But this also isn't _your_ mess. You had no control over your father's health, yet you're stuck dealing with the aftermath of the problems anyway.

"I'm in a position to help, and that's all I want to do. I could give you the money as a loan until you're back on your feet so you can finish school. If it would make you feel better, I can even draw up paperwork to say that you'll pay it back over time once you have a job. No one should be forced to drop out with one semester left, and that would take part of the pressure off of you.

"If it were any other time of the year and you were not stuck with only a week to handle this—a week where most businesses are closed—you'd be able to get a loan on your own. All I'm doing is offering an alternative while you're in a time crunch."

She takes a sip of her coffee and puts it down on the nightstand. "Why are you doing this?" There is no malice in her voice, just genuine curiosity.

I sigh, knowing I don't have an explanation. "I don't know. If you ask anyone who knows me, they'd tell you that I'm normally a Scrooge, especially this time of year. Maybe it's because I've been thinking of my brother when I normally try to put him out of my head. Maybe it's because you haven't asked for a thing. Maybe I just feel the need to help. Or maybe it's just you." I run my hand through my hair. Nothing is making sense in my head at the moment, but I can't give up.

"Please, Bella, just consider it. You don't have to give me an answer right now. The offer stands, so you can take some time to think about it. Now, unless you still want to tear into me, we have a whole bunch of Mel Brooks movies waiting for us."

The last comment at least gets her to crack a smile. "I'll be down in a minute."

I head downstairs and get the next movie ready while I wait for Bella. As soon as she arrives, we get settled under the blanket and I press play to start _To Be or Not to Be_. It's only fifteen minutes into the movie when I realize that Bella hasn't laughed once while I've been cackling up a storm at the on-screen insanity. I peek at her through the corner of my eye and see a glum expression on her face.

That just won't do.

I pause the movie and turn to Bella. She's still staring at the screen blankly. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm?" She turns to look at me once she realizes the movie is no longer playing. "Sorry, I was just dazed out for a minute."

"Um, no, you've been in another world since the movie started. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." Her attempt at a smile falls short.

"Bella, come on. After everything we talked about last night, surely you can tell me what's on your mind now."

She huffs out a dry laugh. "Trust me, this isn't something _you_ want to hear."

I don't miss the emphasis she placed on that sentence. "Just tell me." I turn to face her with my back against the arm of the couch.

She shakes her head. "Don't say I didn't warn you." I nod, so she continues with a shrug. "I'm just sad that I'm not celebrating the holiday, and especially that I don't have my dad here anymore."

"Ahh," I acknowledge. There's obviously nothing I can do about missing her father but … am I really considering this? I close my eyes for a moment and suck in a breath, steeling my nerves as I open them. "What did you normally do to celebrate?"

She turns to face me, stretching her feet out to the middle of the sofa so I mirror her position, the blanket still covering both of our lower halves. "The usual, I guess. I'd cook us a big breakfast before we opened gifts, we'd watch Christmas movies on TV, I'd have holiday music playing while I made dinner. Usually a bunch of people would show up throughout the day. My dad was Chief of Police so people were always stopping by to drop off baked goods and stuff."

I watch her as she picks at the ends of the blanket, looking down the entire time she speaks, and I know I need to do something to bring back her smile. The decision is an easy one.

I turn the power off to the Blu-Ray player and pick up the remote control for the TV. "What are you doing?" she blurts. "I thought we were watching Mel Brooks all day."

"We can do that tomorrow." I flip through the on-screen guide until I find something suitable. With a gulp, I press enter to change the channel. "How's this?" I ask as the TV flicks to _A Christmas Story_.

"Edward, you don't have to do this." She leans forward and puts her hand on my arm. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable in your own home."

I drop the remote on the table and put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her body closer. "It was making me uncomfortable to see you so upset. It's no big deal. Let's watch the ridiculous Christmas movie."

She doesn't say anything for a moment but then turns and looks up at me with joy in her eyes. "Thank you," she says quietly. She kisses me on the cheek and then settles back next to me, snuggling in to watch the movie.

I try to pay attention only to her giggling instead of the sound coming from the TV, but eventually I'm also drawn in.

"_I can't put my arms down!"_

"_Well … put your arms down when you get to school."_

I find myself laughing as I watch the antics on the screen when Randy rolls around in the snow because he can't get up while wearing all of his snow gear. It takes me a minute to realize that Bella is now sitting up and looking at me. When I turn to her, there's a strange look in her eyes.

Our eyes stay locked for a long moment. My mouth goes dry and I lick my lips, feeling a tingling sensation running throughout my body. Our heads inch closer to one another. Without conscious thought, my lips capture hers as my hand comes up to rest on her neck.

Bella gasps lightly against my mouth but her lips respond, molding softly to mine over and over again. The tingling increases to a buzz I can feel on every inch of my skin, and I come to the sudden realization that Christmas miracles do happen, even to me.

I pull back to look at Bella, who looks even more beautiful with flushed cheeks and red lips. Her eyelids flutter open.

"Merry Christmas, Bella," I whisper.

Her responding smile is warm enough to thaw even my cold heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**Merry Christmas!**

**I am so happy you are enjoying this! Thanks for all the reviews, alerts and favorites. Since I'm on vacation right now, I'm not able to respond to reviews, but I read and appreciate every one.**

**The remaining chapters have not been beta'd, so please forgive any mistakes. Onward with Scroogeward and Brokella!**

**Chapter 2**

The next four days spent with Bella are surprisingly enjoyable. We never discuss our kiss, nor do we repeat it, but we seem to have found a closeness with each other that I've never had with a woman before. Dare I say we've become friends?

The day after Christmas I insisted on taking Bella shopping for some clothes to get her through until she could get her belongings from her dorm. Of course she fought me on spending any money on her, but in the end I won. "I'll just add it to your tab," I told her jokingly.

She only relented after insisting she be allowed to cook for me. Who was I to say no to that? I'd been eating takeout for so long that any home cooked meal was a treat. And she was actually a great cook.

Today I decide it's time to approach her about the loan again, but I have an additional consideration that I believe will benefit both of us.

I turn off the TV after the latest movie we've been watching ends but continue to hold her close. Somehow we always end up tangled together on the couch. Neither of us seems to be complaining.

"Have you thought any more about my offer of a loan?" I ask gently.

She sighs but makes no effort to move away from me. "I'm still thinking about it. I keep thinking somehow I'll just wake up and all of this will be solved and I won't have to burden you anymore."

"Bella, don't you know by now that you're not a burden? I've enjoyed having you here." I let my fingers glide through her silky hair, contemplating how much I'll miss her presence if she doesn't go for my plan. "In fact, I was thinking that maybe you could stay."

She doesn't fully sit up but leans back enough to see my face. "I thought you wanted me to go back to school."

"I do," I say with a nod. "But I was thinking that maybe instead of living in the dorm, you could just live here. It would save you the cost of living there so you wouldn't have to borrow as much money." I shrug lightly.

"But then I'd feel like I had to pay you rent, so I'd still owe you just as much."

"Well, my proposition isn't entirely selfless. I thought you could continue to cook dinner for me as your payment," I tell her with a smirk.

"You want me to cook for you," she deadpans.

I shrug again. "I've been alone for a long time, Bella. Having you here has been wonderful, and I told you I want to help. So, if I get something out of it also—a friend and good meals—then it's a winning situation for everyone. Of course, if you're not comfortable with it, the offer for the full loan still stands."

She sits up fully and runs her fingers through her hair. "This is really too much."

"From where I'm sitting, it's really not."

"I don't even have any collateral to put up against a loan. My old truck back in Washington isn't worth anything, and that's really all I own."

"I'm not asking for any collateral," I say, turning to face her and taking her hand. "Just please say you'll let me help."

"You'd really let me live here?" I nod. "That would save me a lot of money," she muses to herself. She bites her lip and seems to contemplate the offer for a moment so I put on my best puppy dog face, the one my nanny used to tell me would get me whatever I wanted.

When she finally looks at me she breaks out laughing, which is music to my ears. "Oh, stop that," she says, smacking me on the arm. "Do you always get your way?"

"Are you agreeing?" I ask with a quirked eyebrow.

She closes her eyes and lets out a breath. When she opens them, a smile spreads across her face. "Yes."

I match her smile. "Then yes, I always get my way," I boast. "This is going to work out for the best, you'll see."

After discussing it a little further, she tells me she wouldn't feel right taking the money without an actual repayment agreement, so the following day I have my lawyer draw up a contract. The terms are simple. The loan is interest-free and she does not have to begin paying it back until she has a job which allows her to support herself.

The amount of the loan will be enough to cover her tuition and books for the semester as well as some extra cash for spending money. As soon as the documents are signed, we head to the bank where she sets up an account in her own name and I transfer the money into it. This allows her to have free access to everything in the account without the possibility of her father's estate taking the money. The documents of the exchange also stipulate that the money is for college and living expenses.

Once everything is settled, I offer to take her out for New Year's Eve to celebrate, but Bella declines.

"I'm not much of a partier or a drinker," she tells me. "I appreciate the offer, but it's really not necessary."

"At least let me take you to dinner," I offer once again. "I can't even remember the last time I went out on New Year's Eve."

"Edward, no," she says, shaking her head. "I don't have anything to wear—" she holds up her hand before I can interrupt her "—and I'm not letting you buy me anything else. Besides, I'm supposed to cook for you, remember?"

"Fine," I pout. "But only because I can't turn down your cooking."

She smiles in victory.

After I take Bella food shopping, telling her to pick out whatever she needs to cook and anything she wants to have around the house, she gets busy in the kitchen. I try to ignore the delicious smells emanating throughout the house, but it's a losing effort.

"Anything I can help with?" I ask as I take a seat on some free space on the counter.

"Nope," she replies, stirring some sauce in a pot. "I'm cooking for you, remember?"

"Doesn't mean I can't help," I offer with a raised shoulder. "Besides, it smells too good in here. Will it be ready soon?"

She smiles at me and shakes her head. "You act like you've never had a decent meal before."

"I'm a growing boy. What can I say? It doesn't hurt that everything you make is delicious."

Her eyes narrow slightly at me. "How old are you, Edward?"

"Twenty-six. Why?"

She grabs a baking dish and jerks her head in my direction, so I hop off the counter to give her space to work. I love that she's so at home in my house already. "I don't know … Sometimes you act so mature and other times you're like a twelve-year-old."

I laugh out loud at her observation, which I have to admit is entirely true. Owning my own successful business has probably given me a maturity beyond my years, but there's definitely a playful little boy inside who missed a lot of his childhood.

When dinner is finally ready, we enjoy Bella's delicious lasagna with homemade sauce, salad with homemade dressing and crispy garlic bread. Hands down, it's one of the best meals I've ever had. We take a few beers into the den and watch the ridiculous New Year's Eve TV shows together, and as midnight nears, I open a bottle of champagne.

"Wow, the last time I had champagne was at a wedding when I was sixteen," Bella comments as I hand her a glass. "I had to sneak it when my dad wasn't looking."

"I love champagne," I tell her. "I think there should be more excuses to drink it."

"To a new start in the new year," she says, tapping her glass to mine.

We both take sips with our eyes on each other as the crowds on TV count down the last few seconds of the year. When the shouts of "Happy New Year" can be heard, I lean in and whisper my wishes. "Happy New Year, Bella."

"Happy New Year," she responds.

Our lips connect again in a delicious, sweet kiss. Champagne flavored tongues dance briefly together before we both pull back with smiles on our faces. Without a word, we resume our cuddling on the couch and focus on the TV.

I don't understand why everything feels so natural with Bella, but I won't let things go too far. She needs a safe place to stay and a friend right now, not some horny asshole who wants to jump her bones. The least I can do is give her my friendship. If a few kisses happen here and there, who am I to complain?

On January second, Bella and I head to the Drexel campus in my car as early as we can. Our first stop is the Bursar's office, where she pays her tuition with the bulk of the money in her new bank account. Once that load is off her shoulders, we make our way to her dorm to pack up her belongings.

I look around the small room and sigh. She wasn't kidding when she said she didn't have much stuff and that it would all fit in my car. She has the room to herself, which I guess is a privilege of being a senior, but there's not much in it: a few books on a shelf, a couple of pictures sitting around and her clothing.

Within two hours, everything is packed into the boxes I picked up from work and loaded into my car. An hour after that, it's all stacked in her room in the house.

"I want you to feel at home here," I tell her. "So if you need space anywhere around the house, you're welcome to it. My office is on the third floor, and there's a library up there too." I gesture to her box of books. "If you want to put those up there, you can."

"Thanks, Edward. I'll probably keep them in here for now," she says with a shrug. "But I might check out what else you have in the library."

"Help yourself to whatever you want."

I head up to my office to spend some time going through any emails that can be handled before I return to work tomorrow to lessen the burden that the first day back will bring. For some reason, I have a feeling I won't want to spend late nights at the office any more.


	3. Chapter 3

**There were FFN issues yesterday, so make sure you read chapter 2 before reading this one.**

**Chapter 3**

The first month spent with Bella officially living here has its share of awkward moments, but we manage to get past them easily enough. I only ran into her in the hallway when she was wearing nothing but a towel once. I tried not to let my eyes rake over her body, but she must have noticed my ogling. Ever since then, she wears a bathrobe when she gets out of the shower.

For the most part everything has been going well. We've settled into a nice routine, which includes me leaving the office by six every night to be home in time for whatever delicious meal Bella has prepared. We chat over dinner each night and have learned a lot more about each other.

I can't deny that I'm attracted to this amazing woman. She's kind and loving, loyal to her beliefs, witty and smart, and undeniably beautiful. But I've resolved to push my attraction for her aside; she needs a friend right now, not some horny asshole who takes advantage of the fragile state she's in. Our casual touches haven't stopped, but they're more of a comfort measure for both of us than anything sexual.

"Edward, um …" Bella starts one night as we eat our dinner together. "Would it be okay if one of my friends comes to the house tomorrow?"

I measure my outward reaction as I cringe internally, hoping this "friend" is not a boyfriend or someone she's dating. "Of course, that's fine. I told you I want you to feel at home here. You don't need my permission to invite someone over."

Her shoulders visibly relax. "Thanks. I just didn't want it to be a problem. Angela and I—" now my shoulders relax "—have a project to work on, and I thought it would be easier for us to work here. Besides, then I can still be home in time to start dinner."

I chuckle at her comment. She has really taken this cooking arrangement seriously. "It's really okay if you miss a night, you know. I can fend for myself every now and then."

"I like cooking and having dinner with you." She shrugs.

"So do I." I give her a smile.

The next day at the office turns out to be a longer one than I had planned. I have some things to work on with one of my account managers, but knowing the trouble Bella went through to make sure she would be home to make dinner, I make a last minute decision and text her.

_"Any chance there's room for one more for dinner? - E"_

_"I always make plenty. - B"_

I invite my colleague to dinner so we can work in my office later on and get this issue cleared up. He readily agrees after I tell him how wonderful a cook Bella is since he lives on his own and also doesn't know his way around a kitchen.

When we arrive at six thirty, I hear Bella laughing in the kitchen with her friend.

"Honey, I'm home!" I call out as Ben and I drop our briefcases by the door and walk toward the laughter.

"In here, dear," is Bella's response. Her smile is as wide as it always is when we greet each other in this joking manner. It's become our tradition. "I hope you don't mind, but I asked Angela to stay also since we didn't finish everything yet. But we'll eat in the den to be out of your way."

"That's not necessary. Ben and I don't need to discuss business during dinner." I look to Ben for confirmation, even though I'm the boss, but find that his eyes are trained on Bella's friend. Clearing my throat, I begin introductions. "Ben, this is Bella, and you must be Angela." I make my way to the woman in question and shake her hand.

"Um, it's nice to meet you, Edward," she says, but her eyes are continually flitting back to Ben.

I walk back over and give his shoulder a nudge, waking him from his trance. "Nice to meet you both," he says shyly.

Dinner is an interesting affair. It's clear to me, and also Bella if her eyebrow lifts are any indication, that Ben and Angela are attracted to each other but neither of them is bold enough to engage the other in conversation. Bella and I do our best to give them something to talk about, but it's like pulling teeth to get more than one word answers.

When Bella's cell phone rings, her eyebrows furrow as she looks at the number. "Excuse me," she mutters as she leaves the table. I hear her in the den but can't make out what she's saying.

After a few minutes of stilted conversation in the kitchen, I realize that Bella is no longer on the phone but she hasn't yet returned. I quietly excuse myself to check on her.

I find her in the den with the phone in her hands, staring at it blankly. "Everything okay?"

She looks up at me with red-rimmed eyes. "Um, yeah. That was the lawyer, Mr. Jenks."

I take a seat next to her and grab one of her hands. "What's going on?"

She shrugs and drops her head back, blinking away tears before they can fall. "He finished negotiating all the bills and everything, and it looks like I'll have to sell the house."

"Oh, sweetheart," I say, putting my arm around her shoulder and pulling her to me. "I'm so sorry. What can I do to help?"

She burrows her head into my neck and sniffles. "Nothing. I just have to get back there soon so I can pack everything up and put it on the market."

"I'll go with you." It's not an offer and she knows it. I would never let her do this on her own.

We make arrangements to go over Bella's spring break in March so we'll have a little over a week to pack everything up and meet with a realtor. When she fights me on the first class tickets that I purchase, I argue that I'm going on business and just extending my stay, so my ticket is an expense to my company.

The first order of business when we arrive in Seattle is for me to deal with the meeting I set up. I tell Bella I won't be more than an hour, so she decides to walk around the city while I meet with Mr. Jenks.

I present him with all the necessary paperwork after I explain what I want to do. Since he is acting as my attorney in this transaction, I know he won't tell Bella anything. It's not something I intend to keep a secret from her forever, but for now she doesn't need to know the details.

Once everything is squared away, I meet up with Bella in our rental car and we make the drive to her childhood home. After stopping for some pizza on the way to the house, Bella unlocks the door and steps inside slowly.

"Um, I didn't really think about sleeping arrangements while we're here," she says timidly. "I guess you can sleep in my dad's room."

"The couch is fine with me if you're not comfortable with that," I offer.

"No, it's okay. I mean, you're gonna have to be in there anyway." She shows me to the room and I drop off my bag before carrying hers into her bedroom.

We agree to rest after our day of travel and start packing up first thing in the morning.

Once we've had a simple breakfast, we make our plan of attack. I discuss with Bella the option of selling the house furnished to make things easier on her, and she agrees. Essentially, we only need to pack up the personal belongings.

"Where are you going to put everything you're keeping?" I ask.

She bites her lip and looks at the floor, shuffling her feet. "I guess I'll just get a storage space or something."

"Bella, can I ask … are you planning to come back to Washington after you graduate?"

She shakes her head and looks up at me. "No, there's nothing left for me here. It'll probably be easier for me to find a job in the city anyway."

I nod once. "We can ship everything back to the house if you want. Then at least you can take some time to sort through it all. There's some storage space on the third floor."

She agrees with my plan so we get to work. I start on her father's belongings since just about everything is being packed up to be donated, while Bella works on the personal effects and some things of hers that are still here. Surprisingly, it only takes three days for us to have everything cleaned out.

The realtor has already been by to meet with Bella, so once the house is ready to go she comes back with all the paperwork that needs to be signed. The woman assures Bella that the house should sell quickly for the full asking price. Unfortunately, after what's left on the mortgage and her father's remaining medical bills, there won't be much left over for Bella.

As soon as the realtor leaves, Bella tries to tell me that she'll use whatever's left to pay back her loan, but I quickly put a stop to that line of thought.

"No way. There's a reason the loan doesn't need to be paid back until you're working," I explain. "I don't want you worrying about that for now. What if you don't get a job right away after you graduate? This way, at least you'll have a little money left over." Besides, she'd just be paying me back with my own money.

"I feel like I should be paying you back though," she argues.

I shake my head. "Hold on to that money, invest it, whatever you want, but you're not using it to pay me back right now."

Although clearly not happy, she relents and we finish up her business in Forks by getting rid of her truck. Even though I assure her we can find a buyer for it, she insists on transferring the title to her father's friend, explaining that the truck was originally his anyway. It has no value to her since she doesn't need a vehicle in Philly, but she's sure this guy's son can fix it up and use it.

With that out of the way and a bunch of boxes in transit to Philadelphia, we get on a plane and head back to the only home Bella has now. My home. _Our_ home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hopefully the FFN issues are worked out now. Please make sure you've read the previous chapters since 2 and 3 were posted while FFN was acting up. Thank you so much for all the reviews, alerts and favorites. Special thanks to those who took the time to go back and review once FFN was working again!**

**One of my other stories, Altered Measure, is currently on the poll for top 10 completed fics for November on Twifanfictionrecs dot com. Please check out the poll and vote for your favorite. You can vote once a day until the end of December.****  
**

**Chapter 4**

On a humid day in June, Ben and I make our way into Drexel University's Athletic Center, intent on seeing our girls graduate. Bella and I may not be an actual couple, but Ben and Angela certainly are. Since the night they met at our house for dinner, they've been nearly inseparable.

It seems that once I left them in the kitchen to talk to Bella, they finally started speaking to each other. Ben worked up the nerve to ask Angela on a date, and the rest is history.

Now, if only things were so simple for Bella and me. My feelings for her have certainly grown over the last six months, but I haven't been able to do anything about it. We spend plenty of time together, and to the outside world we probably look like a couple when in actuality, we're only best friends.

I'm hoping to change that. Tonight.

The reason I've withheld my feelings all this time is because I didn't want Bella to feel like she owed me anything while I was giving her a place to live and a loan. Although she won't be paying back the loan immediately, she already has a job lined up to teach English at a private high school starting in the fall, so I know she feels more comfortable with the idea that the loan _will_ get paid back soon. And I'm not kicking her out of the house now that she's graduated. I've already told her she's welcome to stay as long as she wants.

Thankfully the graduation ceremony doesn't last too long. Ben and I cheered for Angela and Bella, and we got bright smiles in our direction from both of the girls when they walked across the stage. I don't know if they could see us, but at least they heard us.

We make our way outside to where we planned to meet them, and Ben spots them first.

"This way, Edward," Ben says, patting my shoulder.

As soon as I look in the direction he's headed, I find Bella's bright eyes. I hurry my steps and she starts in my direction. My arms wind around her waist the moment I'm close enough. Hers wrap around my neck as I lift her off the ground and hug her tightly.

"Congratulations, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you," I say into her shoulder.

She laughs lightly. "Thank you. I'm so glad I'm done."

I reluctantly put her down but keep an arm around her waist, turning toward Angela and Ben, who have now been joined by Angela's parents. "Congratulations, Angela," I offer.

She smiles and thanks me before inviting us to go to dinner with them.

I look to Bella. "It's up to you," I tell her. I'd rather be alone, but it's her night.

"Um, thanks, but Edward made a reservation for us somewhere, right?" She turns to me for confirmation.

I nod, so after taking a few pictures of the graduates, we say our goodbyes.

"Are you sure you didn't want to go with them?" I ask quietly once we start walking away.

"I'd rather it just be the two of us," she says with a shrug and a shy smile.

"Me too," I confirm, pulling her closer as we head toward my car.

It takes a little while to get out of the parking area, but then it's only a short drive home. We leave the car and walk to Tequilas, which is only a few blocks away. It's an upscale Mexican restaurant that I know Bella will love.

"What's that?" she asks as we walk, noticing the manilla envelope I pulled out of the car.

"Later," I tell her, squeezing her hip as we near the restaurant.

We're seated immediately in a small dining room, and I can see Bella taking in the atmosphere of the building. It looks more like a house than a restaurant, with the dining areas separated into smaller groupings, but the walls are a warm yellow with Mexican artwork hanging throughout.

Bella orders a margarita while I get a beer, and we decide on two meals to share. The food here is delicious, and I know I'll eat anything on the menu that she picks. We chat for a while about everyday things as we eat.

"So, have you made any plans for the summer before you start work?" I ask. I've actually been thinking about taking a vacation—something I've never really done before—and am hoping Bella might want to join me.

She scrunches up her face before answering. "I guess I need to start looking for an apartment soon."

"What? Why?" I can feel my heart racing at the prospect of her moving out.

"I don't know … I didn't think you'd want me to stay with you forever." Oh, if only she knew.

"Bella," I say, taking her hand from her lap. "I told you you can stay as long as you want. There's no rush." This is probably the best opening I'm going to get, so I decide to take it. "Um, I should probably give you your graduation gift now."

"Edward," she protests. "You've already given me so much. You shouldn't have gotten me anything."

I take a deep breath and let it out, picking up the envelope on the chair next to me. "This is something I wanted you to have." I hand her the envelope and then rub the back of my neck while I watch her open it.

Her brows furrow as she pulls the contents out and looks over the top paper, but it doesn't take long before she gasps and tears form in her eyes. She shakes her head back and forth several times while one hand covers her mouth.

"Yes, Bella," I say softly, pulling her hand away from her face. "It always should have been yours, and now it is."

"But how—I don't understand."

"I made arrangements to buy the house as a business deal when we were in Seattle," I explain. "My company owns several rental properties, so this wasn't out of the ordinary. The only difference was that I had planned all along to buy it from the company and give it back to you at some point. Um, it's rented out right now, but only on a month to month lease since I didn't know what you'd want to do with it. All the rental income going forward is yours though."

She's still shaking her head and now trying to hand me back the papers. "This is too much. I can't accept this."

"It's a gift, Bella." I place my hand over hers and gently push the papers back into her lap. "It's something I wanted to do for you."

When the tears flood her eyes and roll down her cheeks, I move my chair closer and wipe them away with my thumbs on either side of her face. "Please don't cry, sweetheart. You never should have had to give this up in the first place."

"I don't know how to accept something like this," she chokes out.

"Just say thank you." I move slightly closer, unable to resist her much longer.

She stares into my eyes and whispers, "Thank you."

With only inches between us, my eyes lock on her lips. It's been too long since the last time I kissed her, and even then I didn't know what this feeling was. I brush my mouth across hers lightly, a gentle kiss, but the warmth spreads from our point of contact throughout my entire body. She surprises me by angling her head and kissing me fully, her hand coming up to grasp my neck while her fingers rake through the back of my hair.

I let out a relieved breath and open my mouth to her, our tongues meeting, stroking, gliding against each other. The saltiness of her tears mix with the spiciness of our dinner and something that is inherently Bella, combining in the best possible way. Before we can get carried away, I kiss my way across her cheek and toward her ear.

"I love you," I say, just a whisper, unsure if she'd even hear me.

Her gasp tells me she does, and my heart races when she pulls away from me. Her eyes are wide and still teary, but a smile slowly forms on her lips. "I love you too," she murmurs before diving back in to kiss me again. A moment later it's her turn to move her mouth to my ear. "Take me home, Edward," she whispers.

Within minutes the bill is settled, papers are thrown haphazardly back into the envelope and we are running down Locust Street arm in arm. Every half block or so we can wait no longer, and I press Bella up against a car or the side of a building to kiss her breathless again.

As soon as we enter the house, I slam the door closed with my foot and push her up against it. My lips attack her jaw, her neck, her collarbone that peeks out of the V of her dress. My hands find purchase on her waist and work their way up the sides of her ribs while her breath washes over the side of my face in pants and gasps. I let my thumbs rub the underside of her breasts, and Bella lets out a groan.

"Please, Edward," she nearly whines, grabbing my wrists and moving my hands to her breasts. "I've waited so long for you."

My hands give a gentle squeeze as her words register. I pull back from my attack on her neck and look at her, dumbfounded. "You mean … all this time …" She nods. "Fuck, Bella."

I dive back in to my kissing and groping, holding nothing back. Bella's hands are everywhere—grasping my hair, fingernails digging into my shoulders, squeezing my waist—and then finally they are frantically pulling at my belt. I have the top of her dress and her bra cup pulled down and am sucking on a nipple when her hand makes contact with my cock. A hiss escapes my lips at the gloriousness of her soft fingers wrapped around me.

I abandon her breasts and put my hands on her thighs, lifting her off the floor as if she weighs nothing. "Where …" she breathes out.

"Bedroom." I spin and take a step toward the stairs.

She shakes her head. "Here. Now."

I groan and spin again, moving quickly to the couch in the living room. As soon as her ass hits the cushion, my hands are under her dress and grasping the sides of her underwear. The silky material of her dress pools at her waist, and I get my first glimpse of her beautiful pussy as I pull pink lace down her legs.

"Fuck," I mutter, shaking my head. "One of these days, I'm gonna feast right here." I toss her underwear away and cup her pussy.

She moans and drops her head to the back of the couch, her thighs trying to clench around my hips as I kneel between her parted legs.

"Protection?" I ask as I push my pants and boxers down my thighs.

She shakes her head. "On the pill."

I lean over and kiss her deeply, pulling her hips to the end of the couch and lifting her legs to wrap around my waist. My cock is like a divining rod finding its true north as it lines up perfectly with her wet center. I rub up and down a few times, coating it in her arousal.

"Stop teasing," she demands, and she reaches between us, grasping me and shifting her hips so the tip slides inside.

My head drops to her shoulder as I let out another groan at the feel of her tight, wet heat surrounding me. With one thrust, I'm buried inside of her.

Her nails claw at my back as I still and soak up the feeling. "Okay?"

She nods against my shoulder. "Perfect. It's just been a while."

"Me too," I admit.

With my hands on her hips I begin moving with long, deep strokes. Bella's feet dig into my ass and she uses the leverage to counter my thrusts perfectly. Her hands come between us and fumble with the buttons on my shirt until her fingers reach skin and explore it greedily. I wish we were both completely naked, but there'll be time for slow and sweet later.

I kiss and lick any available skin I can find as my hand drifts to where we're joined. I circle my thumb over her clit in time with our thrusts, intent on seeing her fall apart before I do.

"Oh God," she moans. "Harder."

The sound of our skin slapping together mixed with her breathy noises spurs me on. Our bodies move together like a perfectly choreographed symphony. She lets out a long moan as her walls begin to flutter.

I suck on her earlobe and then whisper, "Come for me, Bella."

With one last cry she bites my neck and falls apart, taking me over the edge with her. I pump erratically a few times as I lose myself in the bliss, holding her body tightly against mine.

We lay spent and panting for a few moments until I realize I'm probably crushing her with my weight. I pull her body up off the couch and sit back on my ankles, intent on keeping our connection as long as possible.

When we've caught our breath enough to speak, I pull back from our embrace and cup her face in my hands like the precious gem that she is. I kiss her lips sweetly. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

She smiles. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Edward?" Bella asks one night as we lay in bed, tangled up together and momentarily sated.

"Yeah?" I kiss her chest over her heart and put my head back on my favorite pillow—her breast.

"Can I ask you something?" Her fingers move lazily through my hair while my hand roams up and down the curve of her hip.

"Of course."

"Do you ever speak to your parents?"

I lift my head and look at her as I realize in the nine months we've known each other we haven't spoken much about my parents. I roll onto my side to face her and she does the same. My hand stays on her hip. I need to feel grounded, and touching her always seems to do the trick.

"Occasionally," I finally answer. "Ever since Emmett passed away, there hasn't been much need for communication between us. My mother only seems to call when there's some event she deems important for me to attend, and I usually turn her down since I have no interest in her high society galas."

She looks contemplative so I ask her what brought this on, and she shrugs the shoulder she's not laying on. "I don't know. I guess I was just thinking about my dad and the time I missed with him when I came back to school this time last year."

"Oh, sweetheart." I run my hand over the back of her head and through her hair. "Your dad wanted the best for you. He knew how important it was for you to finish school. I'm sure he would have been so proud of you when you started your new job this week."

"I know." She gives me a watery smile. "It just got me thinking, that's all." As if she's closing the subject, she moves closer and snuggles into my side with her head on my chest. We've fallen asleep this way almost every night since the first night we made love.

Bella is out like a light within a few minutes, but I remain awake for quite some time mulling over her words.

The following day is Bella's birthday, and although I wanted to take her out to dinner to celebrate the day and her first full week of school, she insists on staying home and cooking for me. No matter how much I argue that she cooks all the time, she won't budge. Since it's her birthday, I give in and we share a nice meal together at home.

She tells me more about her students and the classes she's teaching, and I can tell how happy she is by the animation in her voice. I ask questions and listen intently with a smile on my face as she chatters on about how wonderful it is to teach an advanced placement class to students who are actually interested in what she has to teach them.

It makes me think back over the last nine months and how much both of our lives have changed, and I suddenly blurt out a question I don't mean to ask. "If you could have stayed home with your dad last year, would you?"

As soon as the words are out there I wish I could take them back. I don't really want to know the answer.

She sighs and looks at the wall behind me wistfully. "I don't think so," she finally answers, and I let out a relieved breath. "You were right when you said he would have wanted this for me … to finish school and get a good job, and most importantly to be happy in my life."

"Are you?"

She grabs my hand across the table and stands up to come closer. Contentment washes over me as she straddles my lap and hugs me. "So happy," she says quietly. "But I want you to be happy too."

I pull back and look at her, perplexed. "What makes you think I'm not happy?"

She drops a kiss on my lips. "I know you're mostly happy, but sometimes I wonder if you could be happier."

Later that night I have trouble sleeping again as I contemplate her words. There are two things running through my mind—my relationship with my parents and Bella.

I mull over the first for a while, wondering what it would be like to have a real relationship with my mother and father. Is that even possible after all this time? I don't know if they are interested in being active in my life in any type of parental role. It's not like I need guidance from them now. I run my own successful business, own several properties and have a fantastic girlfriend … who they've never met.

I think about Bella and the small amount of family she had that meant so much to her. She'd probably love to be part of something bigger. I decide that I'll make arrangements for us to get together with my parents. At least if they're not interested or they act as snooty as I expect, I'll be able to say I tried.

If I'm honest with myself, I have to admit this is all for Bella, because without her I would be content with the nearly non-existent relationship I have with my parents. But I've come so far since we met last December, and I wonder what other changes are on the horizon for me.

Bella has brought such joy to my life that I almost can't imagine a time when she wasn't in it. Even before we were dating, we spent most of our time laughing, being playful and having fun together. Now that we're a couple, we have the added bonus of passion and intimacy.

A year ago, as the rest of the world started getting excited for the coming holiday, I was sullen and nearly depressed. When I think of what's to come this Christmas, all I can see is how I can't wait to spend it with Bella. I want to make her dreams come true. I want the house to smell like delicious foods. I want to make a mess in the kitchen when she lets me help her bake cookies. I want to kiss her under the mistletoe.

But what I really want—what would make _me_ happy—is to have her always be mine.

With the thought of Bella by my side, now and in the future, I finally drift off to sleep.

My parents were rightfully surprised when I called to tell them there was someone special in my life that I wanted them to meet. When I asked Bella to accompany me to their house for dinner, she accepted with a secret smile. Now that we're sitting in my car in the driveway of their Main Line mansion, she's fidgeting as if I'm leading her to the gallows.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing to worry about," I say, placing my hand over hers in her lap.

"What if they don't like me?"

"I love you. That's what matters." I kiss her lips lightly. "I want them to meet the incredible woman who has changed my life for the better, and even though I know they're going to love you, their approval is not important to me. Nothing is going to change the way I feel about you."

She looks at me with wide eyes. "What if they think I'm with you for your money?"

I chuckle and shake my head. "You and I both know that's the furthest thing from the truth."

"But they don't!"

"I don't care what they think," I say gently. "We love each other and you make me happy. If anything, they should be thanking you since you were the one who reminded me how important family is. If I did things my way, they would be meeting you at our wedding."

Her eyes widen even further. "Our what?" she exclaims.

I bark out a laugh. "Figuratively speaking. Now come on, let's go inside."

Bella is understandably overwhelmed by the grandeur of the house, but what overwhelms me is the welcoming attitude of my parents. It almost feels as though they were actually missing me. I have to bite my tongue to keep from laughing as Mother fusses over Bella. I honestly expected her to have a "no one is good enough for my son" attitude, and I'm thrilled to find out I'm wrong.

Father, for the most part, sits back and watches the women interact. He's never been a big talker, more content to let Mother lead and follow along for the ride. So I am practically struck stupid when he pulls me aside before we leave and lets me know how he feels.

"She's a lovely woman, Son. Don't let her get away," he tells me, patting me on the shoulder. That's about the highest praise I could ever get from Carlisle Cullen.

It takes me a moment to gather my wits before I respond. "I don't plan on it. I know a treasure when I see one."

That night I spend my sleepless moments thinking about my father's words and the thoughts I've been having about making Bella mine forever. A plan begins to formulate in my mind. I realize exactly what I want to do, and I know the perfect way to do it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all for taking the time to read this little holiday tale. Even though I can't respond to reviews while I'm on vacation, I read and cherish every single one of them. It's so awesome to see so many familiar names reading along, as well as a bunch of new ones!**

**This is the last regular chapter of Scroogeward. Tomorrow will be an epilogue, and then this story will be complete.**

**Chapter 6**

Ever since the dinner at my parents' house, my mother has taken a much more active role in my life. She calls me every few days to check in, and we meet for lunch once a week. Bella and I have also had a few more dinners with them over the last three months.

The first part of my plan to ask Bella to marry me comes together easily. I discuss my intentions with Mother at lunch one day, and the following week she shows up at the restaurant with my grandmother's engagement ring.

"I'd be honored if you gave this to Bella," she tells me. "Grandmother Platt would have loved her."

"Thank you, Mother," I say, admiring the nearly flawless solitaire set in platinum. "It will mean so much to Bella to have a family heirloom."

The next part of my plan takes a little more effort, but it's nothing I can't accomplish. During a long lunch, I have my driver take me down to The Gallery at Market East, where I am able to find all the supplies I need in one of the department stores. Hiding them in the house is a little more difficult since Bella frequents most of the rooms on a regular basis. I end up hiding everything in plain sight in the living room, in boxes I collected from work that are labeled with client information.

Two days later, I shut my computer down at noon when the rest of the office begins to clear out. I pack up my belongings and lock up my office for my long holiday break.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Cullen," a newer employee named Heidi says as I walk past her desk.

I stop and turn to look at her, noticing a few people in the vicinity frozen in their spots. A slow smile spreads across my face. "Merry Christmas, Heidi. I won't be back until January, so have a happy New Year also."

She smiles and nods, and I turn to make my way to the elevator. "Merry Christmas, everyone," I call out with a wave as the doors begin to close, ignoring the surprised stares of some of my long-term employees.

"Honey, I'm home!" I call out when I enter the house. "Something smells good."

"In the kitchen, dear!"

I wrap my arms around my girl's waist from behind while she transfers Christmas cookies from a baking sheet to a wire rack. "Mmm, can I have one?" I ask, already snaking my hand around to steal a peanut butter and chocolate confection. "Oh, hot!" I drop it back to the rack as Bella laughs.

"Serves you right, buster." She turns in my arms and gives me a kiss hello. "The cooled ones are over there."

I follow her finger and take a cookie from the tin on the other counter, shoving the whole thing in my mouth as quickly as possible.

"You sure you don't mind me doing all this baking?"

I shake my head as I chew. "As long as I get to sample the goods, it's fine with me," I tell her around a mouthful of cookie.

I know what she's thinking because the house isn't decorated and we discussed not giving each other any gifts, even though my parents are coming over tomorrow to celebrate and have dinner with us. But she doesn't know what I have up my sleeve for later. She has no idea just how much she has changed me—for the better—in the last year.

"So, pizza and beer later?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I was thinking of skipping dinner and going straight to dessert. You—" I waggle my eyebrows "—and cookies and eggnog."

Her laughter warms me from the inside. "But right now, we have an errand to run," I add.

"Where could you possibly want to go on Christmas Eve?"

I take her hand and lead her to the door. "Bundle up, baby. It's cold outside."

Even though it's only a short drive, I take my car knowing we'll need it on the way home. We park across the street from our destination, and Bella's eyebrows furrow as she tries to figure out where we are and what we're doing here.

She tries to stop me as I lead her by the hand into what is normally a parking lot but now houses a few remaining Christmas trees. "Edward, what are you doing?"

"Come on," I encourage. "We're picking out a tree."

"But …" She comes to a full stop just inside the lot.

"But nothing, sweetheart. I finally have something worth celebrating." I put my gloved hands on either side of her face and kiss her.

She still looks skeptical. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." She'll know soon enough just how true that is.

It doesn't take long to pick one out of the few remaining trees, have it wrapped and strap it to the roof of my car. I watch Bella bite her lip in contemplation on the drive home.

"What's wrong?"

"This is great," she says with a shrug. "But we don't have a stand or anything to put on the tree."

"Oh, ye of little faith."

She unlocks the house while I drag the tree off the top of the car and up the steps, pulling it into the living room and leaning it by the fireplace.

"Can you move those two boxes out of the way for me?" I ask, pointing to the ones I placed there a few days ago.

She pulls hard on the first one, expecting it to be filled with paper, and is surprised when it comes flying toward her since it's contents don't weigh very much.

"Open it," I encourage.

She gasps when she lifts the lid and finds packages of ornaments and lights. "Edward," she chokes out with tears in her eyes.

"The stand is in the other box."

We spend the next while setting up the tree and decorating it just right, drinking eggnog and listening to Christmas music. The smile on Bella's face doesn't leave for even a second, and my heart is full to nearly bursting from how happy she is.

The sky has darkened by the time we finish, so we turn off all the lights in the room, flip on the fireplace and sit in front of the tree admiring it together.

"It's perfect," she tells me, kissing me softly. "Thank you."

"There's one more thing we have to do to make this night perfect," I counter. "Take a walk with me?"

"Babe, it's freezing outside."

"I know." I nod. "Just come with me."

We bundle up once again and head outside hand in hand. I lead Bella in the direction of the park. She laughs and turns her face up to the sky with her eyes closed as the first flakes begin to fall.

"It's snowing," she notes, a hint of joy in her voice.

We stroll leisurely through the park until we come to the spot where I stepped off my chosen path exactly one year ago.

"Where are we going?" she asks as I pull her toward the tree I found her near. "Oh."

I turn to face her, grasping both of her hands in mine. "Bella, you have no idea how miserable I was with my life a year ago, so alone, so unhappy. But something made me find you here … right here … and it changed my life in ways I never thought possible. _You_ changed my life. You helped me find joy where there was none before, made me laugh again, showed me love.

"You make me happier than I ever thought possible just by being here, and I'd give anything to have you by my side for the rest of my life. Isabella Marie Swan," I say, dropping down to one knee and pulling the ring box out of my pocket, opening it for her to see. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?"

Her right hand is over her mouth and tears are gathered in her eyes, but there's no mistaking the vigorous nodding of her head. "Yes, Edward. Yes!"

She pulls on my hand to pull me off the ground, and I squeeze her tight as I lift her in my arms, kissing her cheek, her neck, anywhere I can reach. I finally pull my head back so I can find her lips, and we share a passionate kiss as our cold noses bump into each other.

"I love you, sweetheart," I tell her, unable to wipe the smile from my face.

"I love you too." Hers is equally as wide, even though the tears are now running down her face.

"Oh, the ring!" I put her down and take off my glove, pulling the ring from its nest of velvet.

She takes the glove off her left hand, and I place the ring on her finger. "It's beautiful," she says.

I lift her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. "It belonged to my grandmother. Mother wanted you to have it."

"Really?"

I nod. "I told you they love you, Bella. Of course, not nearly as much as I do." I pull her close and nuzzle into her neck, kissing her sloppily and making her laugh. "What do you say we go home and celebrate?"

"I'd love to."

We make love that night on the floor in front of the tree, celebrating not only the love we share between us, but also creating new memories to make this holiday special for both of us.


	7. Chapter 7

**You all have been so wonderful throughout this little story. Thank you so much. I'm so glad you enjoyed Scroogeward! Your reviews have kept me smiling, and I'm so happy so many people have favorited and alerted this tale. I hope you like the epilogue.**

**Keep me on author alert if you want to know what I'm cooking up next. I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year.**

**Chapter 7 – Epilogue**

"_Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!_" I yell.

Shouts of "Santa!" are heard throughout the room as children stop what they're doing and run toward me. I shake my belly a few times and pat a few kids on the head, winking at the two who remain against the wall with the biggest smiles on their faces.

"Have you all been good boys and girls this year?" I ask, looking around at all the eager faces.

I get big smiles, nods and several chants of "yes" from the gathered crowd.

"Well then, have a seat and we'll see what's in my bag for all of you."

As I begin handing out gifts to the children of my employees, I look over to my wife who is giving me her secret smile. She knows how much this holiday means to me, and I almost can't remember the time when I didn't participate in the festivities.

The year after we were engaged was the first year I attended the formal company Christmas party, but I had my wife by my side. We had gotten married that summer in a small ceremony with just my parents and a few close friends in attendance, and then we spent two glorious weeks in a private villa in the Caribbean.

The following year was the first annual family Christmas party, which was in addition to the formal party, not in place of it. The formal party is a way for my employees to let loose and have a little fun with their coworkers. But in my opinion, the family party is where the real magic happens.

That was also the first year that I played Santa, and I've been doing it every year since. Bella had to explain to our kids last year that Daddy "helps" the real Santa by giving out gifts to all the children of my employees.

This year is no different. I hand out something to each child in the room, calling their names individually and making them feel special. It doesn't hurt that I know them all and can find them in the crowd before I call them up. The adults mill about, munching on the cakes and cookies that everyone contributed to the party. No one works today in this office. We have our party in the morning, and then the office officially closes at noon so everyone can spend time with their families on Christmas Eve.

I look to the back of the room again and call the last two names. "Carly and Embry, have you both been good this year?"

They both nod and smile. Bella pats their backs as they head toward me to get their gifts. I get big hugs and kisses on my cheek from my four-year-old twins before they sit down on the floor and open their presents with the rest of the kids.

"Can everyone thank Santa?" Bella calls out from the back of the room. "He has a lot of work to do today so he needs to get going."

The children all shout their thanks, so I give another "ho, ho, ho!" as I leave the room with my empty sack.

Bella comes to my office to help me change out of the costume and put it away neatly for next year. "Nice work, Santa," she says, closing the door behind her. She pulls down my beard and kisses me soundly.

"Thanks, baby. Maybe next year I should come into your classroom and play Santa."

"Somehow I don't think the teenagers will appreciate it as much."

She just went back to work in September when the twins entered preschool. Before we had kids, Bella and I decided that we didn't want a nanny raising our children, so she stayed home with them for the first few years. I know she enjoyed that time, but she's also happy to be back to doing what she loves, teaching high school English.

"You up for a little more Santa work tonight?" she asks once I'm back in my jeans and button down dress shirt.

"Absolutely. That's the best part. I love seeing their faces when they come down on Christmas morning and find all the gifts under the tree."

"Do you think they'll like the big present?"

"They're gonna go nuts, babe. Stop worrying about it. Mom and Dad promised they'd be over by six, so it'll be there before they get up."

"I can't wait."

We watch Christmas movies and eat cookies with the kids before finally wrangling them into bed for the night. Then Bella and I get to work. We pull all the presents from the storage space and arrange them under the tree, fill the stockings, and eventually eat Santa's cookies while we drink eggnog in front of the fire.

As the clock strikes midnight, I lean over and kiss my beautiful wife. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

"Merry Christmas." We snuggle in front of the fire for a little longer before trudging up the stairs to get a few hours of sleep.

My parents arrive right on time on Christmas morning, greeting us with hugs and kisses.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," Bella says as they enter. I love that she's grown so close to them over the years, and they now stand in as surrogate parents for her. My own relationship with my parents has finally grown as well. Now that my father is retired, he loves to spend his time spoiling his grandchildren in ways he never spoiled Emmett and me when we were growing up.

Instead of being bitter about what I missed as a child, I choose to revel in the close family bond we now share. We even started a new tradition of lighting a candle on Christmas day in memory of Emmett. We take a moment to remember him, and then we celebrate all the wonderful things we still have in our lives.

Bella does her best to keep the last gift—the one that arrived with my parents—quiet, but it's a losing battle. All too soon we hear two sets of footsteps running through the hall upstairs and then stomping down the steps.

"Mommy, Daddy, did Santa come?" Carly asks before she even enters the room.

"What's that noise?" Embry yells.

They both stop short, skidding in their socks on the hardwood floor, when they see what waits for them in the living room.

"A puppy!"

"We got a puppy!"

They surround Bella and the little golden retriever with a bow on his neck. The dog whips his head from side to side before licking Embry's face. He laughs while Carly pats the dog's head, causing it to turn around and start cleaning her face.

"Are you two going to greet Grandma and Grandpa?" I ask.

"Oh, let them be," Mom says. "We're not going anywhere."

We eventually get around to opening the rest of the gifts and, more importantly, naming the dog. The kids decide on Kringle, and we all agree it fits the occasion.

The kids finally pass out for an early nap, which leaves Bella and my mom time to make dinner. My father and I sip scotch while we sit in the living room.

"You've done good here, Son," he says as he looks around the room. It's fully decorated, just like the rest of the house, but also contains tons of family pictures hanging on the walls. There are several from my childhood and Bella's, but the majority are of our kids, many of them including my parents as well.

I nod in agreement. "It's certainly not what I expected for my life ten years ago," I admit. "But now I can't imagine things any different. And I'm glad you and Mom are here to share it."

He takes a sip of his drink and sighs. "I know we weren't around much when you were young, but I'm glad we can be here now too."

Before we sit down to eat dinner, we light Emmett's candle. It burns brightly in the middle of the table as we pass food around and help the kids with their meals. The room is loud with the children's laughter, everyone talking and Kringle barking as he looks for scraps of food.

I put my arm around Bella and pull her close, kissing her temple. "Merry Christmas, baby."

"Merry Christmas. I love you."

I give her a wink and a smile, and then we rejoin the fun.


End file.
